There have big some big post-season moves this off-season.
The Giants this last year proved what people have been saying for years - pitching wins championships.
Let's start with the Cliff Lee move
Mulligan/Repentance
Give the Phillies credit. They made a mistake in trading Cliff Lee last year. And they were men enough to admit- we made a mistake.
Some may say, hey not a big deal. They get Lee back- and get some prospects.
But not so
Why this was a mistake
1. The players they got weren't that great, and now they have to give up a 1st rd pick... likely better than anyone they got in the trade
2. Since they didn't have Lee, they had to trade for Oswalt, giving up a good young pitcher in Happ and a good player in Gose. Plus they have to put more money into Oswalt.
They could have instead of traded for a middle reliever or a big bench bat, or kept those guys for the future...
3. If they would have signed Lee last year, they probably could have got him for 5 years 100 million... That's 20 mil they could have used on... maybe Rafeal Soriano....
4. Let's face it, as good as Oswalt is, Cliff Lee is better... and they would have had a better chance to win last year.
But, at least the Phillies corrected their mistake and got Lee back.
i guess that is what life is all about. This is what God expects of us. Admit your sin, repent. You will make mistakes, just don't stay there
Now, do the Phillies have the best rotation ever?
4 Aces
1. Halladay 2. Lee 3. Oswalt 4. Cole Hamels
Jayson Stark writes a pretty good article.
i'd have to say the 80 Mets were pretty good... i mean, if Doc Gooden doesn't get hurt, he may have gone as one of the best ever. David Cone - amazing, Frank Viola a Cy Young... and Sid Fernandez, Ojeda, Darling decent. Phil certainly better
but the Braves of the 90's?
How do you top Maddux, Glavine & Smoltz? 3 for sure Hall of Famers. And Steve Avery was pretty good too, sometimes looked better.
Of course i liked the White Sox rotation of Jack McDowell, Alex Fernandez, Wilson Alvarez and Jason Bere.
The Yankees had some good rotations: including one that had Clemmens, Cone and Mussina
Or how about the A's big 3 of Hudson, Mulder & Zito
The Phillies has to be right up there with the Braves...
Of course, some teams may think they have a better rotation this year!
And the Giants have a case - look, they won last year with just their pitching.
We forget Tim Lincecum is called Freak, because of how dominating his was his first two years.... Matt Cain was even more dominant than Lee last post-season. Sanchez has thrown a no-no... Bumgarner looks amazing and Zito is the highest paid...
The Cardinals can boast Wainright- who i think is the best pitcher in baseball, Carpenter, still top ten... and guys like Garcis, Westbrook under the tutolidge of Dave Duncan...
Both the BoSox and ChiSox have deep rotations... Tampa Bay & Florida... and now Milwaukee
Brewers
Last year, it looked like Greinke was the best pitcher in the game bar none.
Meanwhile both Gollardo and Marcum were considered Aces last year.
The Brew Crew still have Braun, Fielder & Hart up the middle of their lineup.
The sacrificed their future (Lawrie & Escobar + pithcers), but they have a pretty good rotation, and they should be excited in Milwaukee.
Showing posts with label MLB. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MLB. Show all posts
Monday, December 20, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Mook vs playoffs
Mark Cuban is apparently trying to fix the college football playoff system.
There is a lot of talk of expanding teams in both the nfl and mlb.
The playoffs is a hot topic of sorts
College Football
This is not new. There have been debate and outcry concerning playoff for years upon years.
The last two years, it has been pretty clear. (Though, i suppose Boise St or TCU could have made a case last year or this).
But, there was the year Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech all finished with one loss, exchanging losses with each other... with OU getting in, despite losing to UT...
Or how about Utah's undefeated season a few years back?
Certainly a playoff is needed if we want a true champion
Bowls
Let's not get rid of bowl games. Bowl games are great! They're tradition. They set up some fun stuff and give teams something to shoot for. And when a team finally makes a bowl game or returns to a bowl game it gives fans, alumni, students something to cheer for... and something to do.
But let's get back to the old system instead of all the set conference match-ups... and let's eliminate some of the bowls, there are too many, making bowl-eligibility irrelevant or unimportant.
small-schools vs cash cows
This isn't just about under dogs, though it is. The big name schools will always get more clout and recognition from the media. And often the biggest hindrance a team has is their pre-season ranking.
No, this is about money. Notre Dame will go to a big bowl if they were even half-way decent. Ohio St gets to go always.
This only lets those schools become even more popular, more famous and perpetuates them as good teams. Give others a chance.
And especially let the small schools play. They deserve a chance... and the fan want to see it.
Ohio St
Of all schools to claim another team doesn't deserve to play for a championship game, Ohio St is the one who can't say anything. Or did they forget the 2006 & 2007 seasons?
Also, how is their schedule any better? Big Ten was not that tough. In fact, it wasn't as difficult as Boise St... for the record i think they would have lost to Va Tech (And certainly to Boise St)
None of these teams from major conferences play great non-conference games.
The SEC has been great over the years, but just because they're SEC teams mean they are that amazing.
I would have loved to see Ohio St play TCU in one of the Bowl games.
And i was really sad to see Boise St lose - i thought they deserved a shot at the championship. They're loss to Nevada - should have proved how difficult it is to go undefeated - but it probably didn't
Solution
i say put in the 6 best conference champions + 2 at-large teams. The Big East may or may not be one of the best conferences... ACC for that matter too.
If you can't win your conference, then you didn't earn the right to play for a championship.
All conferences should have a conf championship game - most do already anyway.
8-team playoff
Means 2 more games for the 2 championship teams. i don't think it will take away too much from the school work
1. They practice the whole time anyway
2. Games 2 & 3 can be during their Christmas break
3. Put a limit on in-season games. A lot of teams get 13 or even 14 already before the bowl game. Make the maximum 12 or even 11
This year it could have been
1. Aub vs Stanford 1. Oregon vs Ark
2. Oklahoma vs TCU 2. Wisc vs Boise St
Of course, the issue is money... but i think the fans would go to the game and certainly would watch.
Baseball
There is a lot of talk of expanding the baseball playoffs... if they do we'll be watching baseball in December!
Seriously? Do they not see how awful the NHL is with their long season.
Instead of making the playoffs & the season longer- they need to make it shorter!
Basball should be done by mid-October
Changes
1. Reduce time between games.
Games 1&2 on Tuesday & Wednesday 3-5 on the weekend. Then T&W again. We only need one day for travel. Seriously. Next one can be Sa&Su, T-R, Sa &Su
And if the games are set, let's not wait a week, let's get it over with
2. Shorten the season.
It's too long as it is. Players get hurt. Teams fade. People lose interest. Take 11 games off the schedule, end 2 weeks earlier.
What about more teams?
Why? The season is long. They all play each other throughout the season. If they can't win their division, then do they really deserve to go? Maybe better than a team in another division- which is why there is the wildcard. One wildcard is perfect.
If you add more teams into the playoffs, then what meaning does the regular season have? There has to be a limit or the regular season is just bullshit. Quit crying and win games when it counts -which is all season long!
NFL
The NFL could have more reason to add teams. They don't all play each other. The season is short. We all like football.
Still, why mess with a good thing?
The Super Bowl is already in February.
i don't mind adding games onto the season- b/c i like watching football. And if they wanted to add two more wild cards in each conference, i probably wouldn't mind.
Still, i think it's fine as it is... even if a 7-9 team makes the playoffs this year.
There is a lot of talk of expanding teams in both the nfl and mlb.
The playoffs is a hot topic of sorts
College Football
This is not new. There have been debate and outcry concerning playoff for years upon years.
The last two years, it has been pretty clear. (Though, i suppose Boise St or TCU could have made a case last year or this).
But, there was the year Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech all finished with one loss, exchanging losses with each other... with OU getting in, despite losing to UT...
Or how about Utah's undefeated season a few years back?
Certainly a playoff is needed if we want a true champion
Bowls
Let's not get rid of bowl games. Bowl games are great! They're tradition. They set up some fun stuff and give teams something to shoot for. And when a team finally makes a bowl game or returns to a bowl game it gives fans, alumni, students something to cheer for... and something to do.
But let's get back to the old system instead of all the set conference match-ups... and let's eliminate some of the bowls, there are too many, making bowl-eligibility irrelevant or unimportant.
small-schools vs cash cows
This isn't just about under dogs, though it is. The big name schools will always get more clout and recognition from the media. And often the biggest hindrance a team has is their pre-season ranking.
No, this is about money. Notre Dame will go to a big bowl if they were even half-way decent. Ohio St gets to go always.
This only lets those schools become even more popular, more famous and perpetuates them as good teams. Give others a chance.
And especially let the small schools play. They deserve a chance... and the fan want to see it.
Ohio St
Of all schools to claim another team doesn't deserve to play for a championship game, Ohio St is the one who can't say anything. Or did they forget the 2006 & 2007 seasons?
Also, how is their schedule any better? Big Ten was not that tough. In fact, it wasn't as difficult as Boise St... for the record i think they would have lost to Va Tech (And certainly to Boise St)
None of these teams from major conferences play great non-conference games.
The SEC has been great over the years, but just because they're SEC teams mean they are that amazing.
I would have loved to see Ohio St play TCU in one of the Bowl games.
And i was really sad to see Boise St lose - i thought they deserved a shot at the championship. They're loss to Nevada - should have proved how difficult it is to go undefeated - but it probably didn't
Solution
i say put in the 6 best conference champions + 2 at-large teams. The Big East may or may not be one of the best conferences... ACC for that matter too.
If you can't win your conference, then you didn't earn the right to play for a championship.
All conferences should have a conf championship game - most do already anyway.
8-team playoff
Means 2 more games for the 2 championship teams. i don't think it will take away too much from the school work
1. They practice the whole time anyway
2. Games 2 & 3 can be during their Christmas break
3. Put a limit on in-season games. A lot of teams get 13 or even 14 already before the bowl game. Make the maximum 12 or even 11
This year it could have been
1. Aub vs Stanford 1. Oregon vs Ark
2. Oklahoma vs TCU 2. Wisc vs Boise St
Of course, the issue is money... but i think the fans would go to the game and certainly would watch.
Baseball
There is a lot of talk of expanding the baseball playoffs... if they do we'll be watching baseball in December!
Seriously? Do they not see how awful the NHL is with their long season.
Instead of making the playoffs & the season longer- they need to make it shorter!
Basball should be done by mid-October
Changes
1. Reduce time between games.
Games 1&2 on Tuesday & Wednesday 3-5 on the weekend. Then T&W again. We only need one day for travel. Seriously. Next one can be Sa&Su, T-R, Sa &Su
And if the games are set, let's not wait a week, let's get it over with
2. Shorten the season.
It's too long as it is. Players get hurt. Teams fade. People lose interest. Take 11 games off the schedule, end 2 weeks earlier.
What about more teams?
Why? The season is long. They all play each other throughout the season. If they can't win their division, then do they really deserve to go? Maybe better than a team in another division- which is why there is the wildcard. One wildcard is perfect.
If you add more teams into the playoffs, then what meaning does the regular season have? There has to be a limit or the regular season is just bullshit. Quit crying and win games when it counts -which is all season long!
NFL
The NFL could have more reason to add teams. They don't all play each other. The season is short. We all like football.
Still, why mess with a good thing?
The Super Bowl is already in February.
i don't mind adding games onto the season- b/c i like watching football. And if they wanted to add two more wild cards in each conference, i probably wouldn't mind.
Still, i think it's fine as it is... even if a 7-9 team makes the playoffs this year.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Mook vs misfits, cast-offs, over-achievers & underdogs.
The World Series is starting tonight.
No one cares, because there are no east-coast teams, but you're gonna miss out. Not only b/c of the awesome pitching & thus quick games(plus since the Yanks aren't playing it will be at least an hour less)
This is a World Series we should all be thrilled about… the only problem is which underdog to root for.
The story-lines are crazy.
Much was made of the Giants during the NLCS.
Cody Ross was cut by the Marlins… and really only picked up by the Giants b/c they didn’t want SD to get him. He wins the NLCS MVP
Aubrey Huff led the Giants in most hitting numbers – got a modest 3 mil last season, after no one really wanted him- not even the Giants really, they were trying to get Adam LaRoche…
Most of their starters, weren’t starters at the beginning of the season.
Pat Burrel was released by Tampa Bay. Who knows where Juan Uribe came from. Mike Fontenot? He couldn’t even start for the Cubs. Andres Torres was a carreer minor-leaguer.
Even Tim Lincecum- the 2-time Cy Young winner? Well, when he struggled this season, it made so many scouts and baseball people happy- because with his frame and pitching motion, he wasn’t supposed to be any good.
But as much as we talk about the Giants this way- as a bunch of losers… the Rangers may have even more fire-power
1. Josh Hamilton: was a former #1 overall pick. Btu drugs & alcohol messed him up. Tb dropped him, and the Reds gave him a chance. He was supposed to eb done with baseball, but look at him now
2. Colby Lewis was another top prospect that went nowhere… he was so bad he had to go play in Japan. The Rangers took a shot on him, and he has proved them right
3. Ron Washington was passed up for a bunch of managerial jobs, and when he came out and admitted cocaine use, some thought he should go then… but they kept him and he has become one of the best coaches
4. Vlad Gurrerro was a former MVP. He was the face of the Angels…. And they decided to release the guy. No one wanted him. There was no battle over the guy. Hamilton may win the MVP, but Vlad was the one who carried them early in the seaon
5. Nelson Cruz bounced around the minors for years, among many teams until the Ranger gave him a chance- and look what he has done
6. Bengie Molina- well, he couldn’t even stay on the team of misfits above
7. Back to pitching, how about CJ Wilson? In the off-season he was reportedly offered to Arizona for Chris Snyder- a back-up catcher.
8. And Cliff Lee – well, everyone wanted him… but he’s a guy who has been traded 3 times in the last 15 months. I bet the Phillies wish they had him now.
But really we have to call the Rangers this team because- they didn’t even have an owner most of the season. They went up for auction.
This world series truly is a band of misfits, outcasts, over-achievers & underdogs.
Whoever wins, they are worth cheering!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Mook vs Mike Wilbon & the media pundits
I like Mike Wilbon… but he is an idiot.
He makes bold, brash claims… then when he’s wrong he says nothing.
And he’s a so-called expert, but what does he know?
No one gave SF or Texas a chance to make the World Series. Even when they were up 3-1… no one believed they would actually win.
The Phillies had a great rotation… but how come people couldn’t see the Giants rotation was better?
And the Rangers were supposed to lsoe b/c they never won in the post-season before? But not the people on the field.
Cliff Lee has won. Vlad Gurerro has won.
What are you guys talking about?
I’m sure East Coast bias played into this.
I think more-so, headlines did.
If a player was traded, it made headlines – and so, Halladay, Oswalt, Cliff Lee were big deals. If they make a lot of money, they’re also headlines.
The Giant’s rotation was killer all season, and especially in September… but somehow it was the Phillies rotation that was deemed unbeatable.
Granted the Phillies had much more offensive weapons… but let’s face it Ryan Howard is the most over-rated player in baseball (that actually has nothing to do with this, I just wanted to get that off my chest again, as I’ve been saying it for years).
The media loves the Yankees. They love the Red Sox. And now that these teams aren’t in it, they won’t cover it. And it’s not because baseball fans don’t like it- it’s because the media doesn’t like it.
It’s the same reason Boise St and TCU get screwed in college football. It’s the same reason we won’t ever stop hearing about the Miami Heat. And the same reason we think Brett Favre was a great QB.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Mook vs Fall baseball
Does anybody care about baseball anymore?
i think everyone has moved on to football. We're already thinking about the heisman and national championship games in college. We're already deciding some teams are out of the playoff race and some are the teams to beat.
We forgot about baseball.
It's still around. Fortunately for me, many have forgot about it in my fantasy leagues and i moved into first place in one league and gaining more points in others...
i guess there were some exciting things this year, but now it's fading. When the Rockies were hot that was exciting- the Rockies are always exciting in September, but not many others are. The Wild Card is still up for grabs in the NL, but it's only because the two teams left fighting for it have both given up HUGE leads in their division. That's not exciting at all. They are losing their way to the play-offs, only hoping the other team loses more.
There were some hopes for triple crown winners - in both leagues! But Josh HAmilton got hurt, which killed his chances- but also hurt Miguel Cabrerra as Hamiltons' average never came down. IT was even more exicitng before Justin Morneau got hurt.
In the NL, Albert Pujols clearly wasn't himself- perhaps because i owned him on a few fantasy teams this year. He still came close to a triple crown though, but he and the Cards faded down the stretch.
Tulo may have had a chance at it, but like Hamilton injuries knocked him out. We don't think of him that way, because his long stretch on the DL was much earlier. His teammate CarGo was much closer. Still the story is Joey Votto, because he almost didn't make the all-star team (Actually, did Car Go make the team?).
my votes for awards
NL MVP
1. Joey Votto
2. Tulo
3. Pujols
4. Car Go
others...
5. A Gone
6. Halladay
7. Prado
AL MVP
1. Josh Hamilton
2. Miggy
3. Paul Konerko
4. Robinson Cano
others
5. Evan Longoria
6. Adrian Beltre
7. Carl Crawford
8. Jose Bautista
9. Joe Mauer
NL CY
all the attention was on Ubaldo and Halladay, but...
1. Wainright
2. Halladay
3. Ubaldo
4. Tim Hudson
5. Josh Johnson
6. Heath Bell
7. Tim Lincecum
8. Heath Bell
9. Billy Wagner
10. Mat Latos
11. Roy Oswalt
12. Carp
others
13. Johan
14. Bret Myers
15. Brian Wilson
16. Jonothan Sanchez
17. Clayton Kershaw
18. Matt Cain
AL CY
everyone is making a big deal of old stats vs new stats... i think everyone is just getting caught in debate
1. David Price
2. Jon Lester
3. CC
4. Clay Buchholz
5. R Soriano
others
6. Cliff Lee
7. Justin Verlander
8. Felix
9. JEred Weaver
10. Trevor Cahill
Check it out: Wainright's numbers are right there with Halladays and would have been better if he made his last start...
21-10 2.44 era 219 k 1.04 whip Halladay
20-11 2.42 era 213 k 1.05 whip Wainright
And everyone is talking about Felix, but what about Jered Weaver
Felix 13-12 2.27 era 232 k 1.06 whip
Weaver 13-12 3.02 era 229 k 1.08 whip
Manager of the year
1. Bobby Cox
2. Bud Black
3. Bruce Bochy
4. Ron Gardenhire
5. Ron Washington
6. Terry Francona
7. Ozzie Guillen
8. Dusty Baker
9. Jim Tracy
10. Charlie Manuel
as for the actual games...
i think the favorite has to be Philly: they're hot, their pitching is incredible and they're motivated. The Yanks don't seem motivated and their pitching isn't very good. i like the Reds, but they're too young. The Giants pitching could take them somewhere. The Rays are good, but will the lack of support do them in? And the twins don't seem to do much once they make the playoffs recently...
So i say Phils, Giants, Yanks, Rays, Twins, Reds, Rangers, Braves
i will be rooting for anyone other than the Phillies.
i think everyone has moved on to football. We're already thinking about the heisman and national championship games in college. We're already deciding some teams are out of the playoff race and some are the teams to beat.
We forgot about baseball.
It's still around. Fortunately for me, many have forgot about it in my fantasy leagues and i moved into first place in one league and gaining more points in others...
i guess there were some exciting things this year, but now it's fading. When the Rockies were hot that was exciting- the Rockies are always exciting in September, but not many others are. The Wild Card is still up for grabs in the NL, but it's only because the two teams left fighting for it have both given up HUGE leads in their division. That's not exciting at all. They are losing their way to the play-offs, only hoping the other team loses more.
There were some hopes for triple crown winners - in both leagues! But Josh HAmilton got hurt, which killed his chances- but also hurt Miguel Cabrerra as Hamiltons' average never came down. IT was even more exicitng before Justin Morneau got hurt.
In the NL, Albert Pujols clearly wasn't himself- perhaps because i owned him on a few fantasy teams this year. He still came close to a triple crown though, but he and the Cards faded down the stretch.
Tulo may have had a chance at it, but like Hamilton injuries knocked him out. We don't think of him that way, because his long stretch on the DL was much earlier. His teammate CarGo was much closer. Still the story is Joey Votto, because he almost didn't make the all-star team (Actually, did Car Go make the team?).
my votes for awards
NL MVP
1. Joey Votto
2. Tulo
3. Pujols
4. Car Go
others...
5. A Gone
6. Halladay
7. Prado
AL MVP
1. Josh Hamilton
2. Miggy
3. Paul Konerko
4. Robinson Cano
others
5. Evan Longoria
6. Adrian Beltre
7. Carl Crawford
8. Jose Bautista
9. Joe Mauer
NL CY
all the attention was on Ubaldo and Halladay, but...
1. Wainright
2. Halladay
3. Ubaldo
4. Tim Hudson
5. Josh Johnson
6. Heath Bell
7. Tim Lincecum
8. Heath Bell
9. Billy Wagner
10. Mat Latos
11. Roy Oswalt
12. Carp
others
13. Johan
14. Bret Myers
15. Brian Wilson
16. Jonothan Sanchez
17. Clayton Kershaw
18. Matt Cain
AL CY
everyone is making a big deal of old stats vs new stats... i think everyone is just getting caught in debate
1. David Price
2. Jon Lester
3. CC
4. Clay Buchholz
5. R Soriano
others
6. Cliff Lee
7. Justin Verlander
8. Felix
9. JEred Weaver
10. Trevor Cahill
Check it out: Wainright's numbers are right there with Halladays and would have been better if he made his last start...
21-10 2.44 era 219 k 1.04 whip Halladay
20-11 2.42 era 213 k 1.05 whip Wainright
And everyone is talking about Felix, but what about Jered Weaver
Felix 13-12 2.27 era 232 k 1.06 whip
Weaver 13-12 3.02 era 229 k 1.08 whip
Manager of the year
1. Bobby Cox
2. Bud Black
3. Bruce Bochy
4. Ron Gardenhire
5. Ron Washington
6. Terry Francona
7. Ozzie Guillen
8. Dusty Baker
9. Jim Tracy
10. Charlie Manuel
as for the actual games...
i think the favorite has to be Philly: they're hot, their pitching is incredible and they're motivated. The Yanks don't seem motivated and their pitching isn't very good. i like the Reds, but they're too young. The Giants pitching could take them somewhere. The Rays are good, but will the lack of support do them in? And the twins don't seem to do much once they make the playoffs recently...
So i say Phils, Giants, Yanks, Rays, Twins, Reds, Rangers, Braves
i will be rooting for anyone other than the Phillies.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Mook vs the California Angels
In the past i have criticized the Angels for their trades- or rather their lack of trades.
i thought they should have gone after Roy Halladay this off-season. Wood was the equivalent of Wallace, they have a couple good pitching prospects and could have given up Mathis or Napoli which would have been more than enough...
a few years ago i thought they should have got Miguel Cabrerra considering they could have offered a better package than detroit...
It seemed like they have these top prospects... who don't pan out...
but then Kendry Morales and Erick Aybar have excelled after years of mediocrity... as did Howie Kendrick - but he was still young and had some success, so his success wasn't as surprising...
The signing of Gary Matthews still goes down as the worst free agent signing ever (5 years 50 mil, when they didn't need an OF, for journeyman who had one barely-above-average season? Ridiculous)!
Still, they just got Danny Haren for practically nothing. And he will be around a couple more years for a reasonable price.
i know Haren's ers is up, but he is still striking out a ton...
A few years ago they were able to get Texeira for Casey Kotchman (while the Braves sent Neftali Feliz & Elvis Andrus for him)...
They signed Bobby Abreu for 6 mil, while the Phillies gave Raul Ibanez 30 mil...
i still think they should have resigned Vlad & Figgy last year, but Figgons hasn't been very good nor has John Lackey- but i think most people could have seen his downfall coming... the angels do a pretty good job when they let guys go...
Plus they have the best manager in baseball in Mike Sciossia.
This trade could put them over the top and keep their division title streak going.
If i'm a fan of any team in contention i am angry we didn't get Haren.
i could be wrong, we'll see how the prospects do...
Though if the trade helps you win (like when the Tigers traded John Smoltz for Doyle Alexander) is the trade worth it?
i thought they should have gone after Roy Halladay this off-season. Wood was the equivalent of Wallace, they have a couple good pitching prospects and could have given up Mathis or Napoli which would have been more than enough...
a few years ago i thought they should have got Miguel Cabrerra considering they could have offered a better package than detroit...
It seemed like they have these top prospects... who don't pan out...
but then Kendry Morales and Erick Aybar have excelled after years of mediocrity... as did Howie Kendrick - but he was still young and had some success, so his success wasn't as surprising...
The signing of Gary Matthews still goes down as the worst free agent signing ever (5 years 50 mil, when they didn't need an OF, for journeyman who had one barely-above-average season? Ridiculous)!
Still, they just got Danny Haren for practically nothing. And he will be around a couple more years for a reasonable price.
i know Haren's ers is up, but he is still striking out a ton...
A few years ago they were able to get Texeira for Casey Kotchman (while the Braves sent Neftali Feliz & Elvis Andrus for him)...
They signed Bobby Abreu for 6 mil, while the Phillies gave Raul Ibanez 30 mil...
i still think they should have resigned Vlad & Figgy last year, but Figgons hasn't been very good nor has John Lackey- but i think most people could have seen his downfall coming... the angels do a pretty good job when they let guys go...
Plus they have the best manager in baseball in Mike Sciossia.
This trade could put them over the top and keep their division title streak going.
If i'm a fan of any team in contention i am angry we didn't get Haren.
i could be wrong, we'll see how the prospects do...
Though if the trade helps you win (like when the Tigers traded John Smoltz for Doyle Alexander) is the trade worth it?
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